A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to communication networks, and more particularly, to the managing/provisioning of network services.
B. Description of Related Art
Communication networks, such as Internet Protocol (IP) based networks, can be large networks that are often maintained by network service providers. Typically, service providers sell services and bandwidth on their network to interested parties (e.g., end-users, corporations, etc.).
A typical IP network includes a number of network elements, such as routers, that act together to form the network. A router is a device that determines the next network element to which data units (e.g., packets) should be forwarded during their trip through the network. Modern routers often support a number of network features beyond basic routing of data units.
Network provisioning/managing may include the process of initially configuring or re-configuring the network elements to support a subscriber or a value-added service or technology for the subscriber. An initial step taken when configuring a network for a subscriber is to locate the applicable network resource that supports the subscriber. This can be a difficult task because subscribers are generally distributed in the network as are the network element(s) that manage the subscribers. Locating the appropriate network element(s) can be particularly difficult if the management entry point in the network is not part of the subscriber's network path.
Thus, there is a need in the art to efficiently locate network resource(s) corresponding to a subscriber when given identification information of the subscriber.